The Significance of Socio-genetic Understanding: Response to Fowler

The following article is a published response to a review of On Bourdieu, Education and Society (Fowler, B (2006) ‘Clashing Interpretations of Bourdieu's Theory of Practice: Derek Robbins, On Bourdieu, Education and Society. Oxford: Bardwell Press, 2006. ISBN 0_9548_6836_6’ Journal of Classical Sociology 2007; 7 (3) 367) by Derek Robbins, the original author. In this response Robbins criticises the tendency amongst social scientists to advocate the exploitation of biographical material without challenging the detached superiority of scientific professional. He reasserts the need to develop a sociology of ‘life-world interaction’ but accepts that it must not concentrate on the interpersonal to the neglect of an objective perspective especially concerning conditions of disadvantage and inequality